Can seaming machine



y 5, 1938. F. w. BURPEE 2,122,877

cm swans. MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1935 hwenfor:

H 229 Frank W. Burpee 339 M, afaf g amv Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN SEAMING MACHINE poration of Illinois Application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 48,153 2 7 Claims.

This invention relates to can seaming machines of the domestic type, a well known form of such machine comprising a frame adapted to be clamped at its base on a table or bench, a can chuck rotatably mounted in the frame with an operating handle and gearing therefrom to the chuck, and a seaming roller lever mounted on the frame opposite the chuck carrying one or more seaming rollers and, in some instances, a cutting roller.

In order to adapt such machines to handle .cans of at least two different diameters, two methods have heretofore been employed. In one of these methods the machine is equipped with a pair of chucks of different diameters interchangeably movable into working position, with the axis of each chuck, when so moved, in a position to cooperate with the can seaming rollers. In the other method, the can seaming lever has been journaled on an eccentric so that, by

shifting the position of the eccentric the working position of the seaming roller is shifted so that it will cooperate with either the smaller or larger diameter cans. An example of this latter type of device is disclosed in United States patentto Burpee 1,293,694, February 11, 1919. In the device of this patent, however, the eccentric can not be shifted from one position to the other without partially dismantling the frame. My present invention constitutes an improvement .upon the device of the aforesaid patent, and its main object has been to provide a construction whereby the eccentric may be shifted and locked in shifted position without involving any dismantling of the frame which is a nuisance and i is objected to by many users of such machines.

One simple and practical embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the lines 33 of Figs. 1 and 4 on a still further enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 on a still further enlarged scale.

The frame of the machine, which is of an old and known form, comprises a base I0, a pair of parallel uprights II rigidly mounted on the base, and a top cross bar 12 mounted on reduced upper end portions of the uprights II and secured thereon by nuts l3 and washers I4.

2| of a can seaming roller lever 22, said hub rli) having a laterally extending segment plate .23, in which are journaled the seaming rollers 24 and a cutting roller 25.

The structure as thus far described is old and known, and for a description of the chuck clamping and releasing means above described reference may be had to my former United States Patent 1,959,018, May 15, 1934.

Coming now to those features of the device in which the present invention more particularly resides, on the upper end of one of the uprights I! is a fixed pin 26 terminating in a reduced threaded extension 26, which pin and its extension may consist of an integral reduced portion of the upright I l. Journaled on the pin 26 is an eccentric 2'! which constitutes a fulcrum bearing for the hub 2| of the seaming roller lever 22. On the lower end of this eccentric and preferably integral therewith is a laterally and downwardly offset bifurcated lug 28, in which is pivoted, on a pin 29, a handle 30 for effecting turning movements of the eccentric 2'! on the pin 26. The pivoted end of lever 30 is formed with a lateral locking projection or key 3| which, as

best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, is movable into and out of engagement with either of a pair of oppositely disposed keyways 32 formed in the upright ll just below the pin 26. As shown in Fig. 3, when the handle 30 is in its fully lowered position shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 3, the

key 3| is engaged with one of the keyways .32. When the handle 30 is raised to horizontal position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.3, the key 3| is retracted from the keyway 32 and, by a lateral push on the handle the eccentric may be turned to bring the key into cooperative relation to the other keyway, whereupon, by lowering the handle 38 the eccentric is locked in its new position.

Fig. 2 shows in full lines the position of the lever 22 and its rollers 24 and 25 when operating upon a can of relatively small diameter. When a can of larger diameter is substituted, by shifting of the eccentric 2'! as above described and looking it in its new position, the lever 22 and its rollers 24 and 25 are shifted to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

This adjustment, it will be observed, can be made by mere manipulation of the handle 30 alone and Without the necessity of first removing the top cross bar l2 and then lifting the can seaming lever and its rollers off the eccentric. Manifestly this construction greatly simplifies the operation of adjusting the machine for use with cans of different diameters.

While I have herein disclosed one practical embodiment of the invention which satisfactorily effectuates the stated purpose or object thereof, I do not limit the invention to the. structural details shown and described for the purpose of illustration, but reserve all such variations, modifications and equivalents as fall within the spirit and purview of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a can seaming machine of the type described, the combination with a frame, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, and a seaming roller lever mounted opposite said chuck, of means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on said frame, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pin and forming a fulcrum bearing for said lever, a handle pivotally connected to said eccentric bushing, for turning the latter on said pin, and means on said handle for locking said bushing in, and unlocking. it from set position.

2. In a can seaming machine of the type described, the combination of a frame including an upright formed with a plurality of keyways, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, a seaming roller lever mounted opposite said chuck, and means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on the upper end of said upright, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pin and forming a fulcrum bearing for said lever, a laterally offset lug on one end of said bushing, and a handle pivoted to said lug and having thereon a key movable into and out of said keyways under swinging movements of said handle on its pivot.

3. In a can seaming machine of the type de scribed, the combination of a frame including an upright formed with a plurality of keyways, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, a seaming roller lever mounted opposite said chuck,

.and means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on the upper end of said upright, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pinand forming a fulcrum bearing for said lever, a laterally and downwardly offset lug on the lower end of said bushing, and a handle pivoted to said lug and having. at its pivoted end a key movable into and out of said keyways under swinging movements of said handle on its pivot.

4. In a can seaming machine of the type described, the combination with a frame, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, and a seaming roller lever mounted opposite said chuck, of means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on said frame, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pin and forming a fulcrum for said lever, retractile means for locking said bushing in set position, and means for first withdrawing said retractile means and then turning said eccentric without requiring any disassembling of said frame.

5. In a can seaming machine of the type described, the combination with a frame, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, and a seaming roller lever mounted opposite said chuck, of means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on said frame, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pin and forming a fulcrum bearing for said lever, retractile means for locking said bushing in. set position, said means when retracted permitting turning of said bushing without anydisassembling of said frame, and means connected to said bushing for first withdrawing said retractile means and then turning said bushing from one set position to another.

6. In a can seaming machine of the type described, the combination with a frame, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, and a seaming. roller lever mounted opposite said chuck, of means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on said frame, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pin and forming a fulcrum bearing for said lever, a handle on said bushing for turning the latter on said pin, said handle having a pivotal connection: to said bushing, and means actuated by a pivotal movement of said handle for locking said bushing in, and unlocking it from, set position.

7. In a can seaming machine of the type described, the combination with a frame, a rotatable can chuck journaled in said frame, and a seaming roller lever mounted opposite said chuck, of means for varying the distance between the axis of said chuck and the fulcrum axis of said lever, said means comprising a fixed pin on and extending lengthwise of a fixed element of said frame, an eccentric bushing journaled on said pin and forming a fulcrum bearing for said lever, a lug on one end of said bushing located laterally opposite said fixed element of said frame and movable around said element as said bushing is turned, and a handle pivoted to said lug and having a projection movable into and out of locking engagement with said element under swinging movements of said handle on its pivot.

FRANK W. BURPEE. 

